Everything's Different Now

"I have every right to beat the crap out of you." I shout the moment I see Kenny at work, I'm still annoyed with him because he did the one thing I asked him not to; but I'm not too angry seeing as it did end up leading to me and Joe making up, but that's not the point.

"Why? What did I do?" he slowly asks, watching me open my locker and push my bag inside.

Slamming the door shut I turn and face him. "What was the one thing I asked you to do? Stay away from Joe, don‘t get involved. Did you do that? No, you went to his apartment and threatened him."

"Ok, I can explain that. I did that for you, I just wanted to look out for you."

"Why? Because of Joe?"

"Yes Joe, he‘s not someone you want in your life."

"You can‘t say that, you don‘t even know him and I‘m pretty sure it was you that told me to give him another chance, it was you who told me he clearly cares about me and that I should ‘make him love me again'." I said doing a pretty good imitation of Kenny's voice.

"That was before you both got in that argument and he hurt you."

"He didn‘t hurt me. If anything I hurt him."

"Erica, I just-"

"If you‘re worried he‘s gonna take me away from you he‘s not. We‘re still friends." I insist

"That‘s not it."

"Then what is it?"

"It-it‘s nothing ok. I guess I'm being over protective." he shrugs

"Kenny, there is a lot about Joe you don‘t know-"

"Which is why-"

"But" I continue "-That doesn't mean you can‘t trust him. I trust him with my life, and I really want you two to get along. You don‘t have to be best friends but at least try and make an effort. Please."

Staring at me in silence for a few seconds Kenny rolls his eye "I‘ll try ok?" he sighs

"Thank you." I squealed tightly hugging him.

Stepping out the backroom and walking behind the counter I help Linda serve customers by taking orders while she makes drinks.

"Erica, before I forget. Table 8 just ordered a refill." She says pulling a mug down from the shelf.

"Kenny, take over while I go refill."

"Yes dear." he smiles moving behind the counter as I take the coffee jug and a tray.

"Hey, you ordered a refill?" I smile as I reach the table

"Yea" the girl smiles back lifting the mug up for me to take, pouring the coffee I place the mug back onto the table and quickly fill out a receipt

"Anything else?" I ask getting ready to put my pencil and pad back into my apron.

"No thank you.... Erica" she says looking down at my name tag "I‘m Ashley." Sticking her hand out I slowly shake it, customers don't normally shake my hand, or tell me their name... maybe hell's freezing over.

--------

Closing my laptop I lean back on the sofa in frustration. I've spent well over 2 hours trying to find this mystery child. When all you've got is the mothers name and a year of birth it's like looking for a needle in a haystack. Then again the internet isn't made for this sort of thing. I don't even know why I'm doing this, like Erica said it's not my child; but it's been bugging since she told me.

Her child is out there somewhere and I can't even begin to imagine what she goes through every day. First there was deciding to give the baby away, then she has that constant reminder of the whole thing every time she opens the fridge. That isn't healthy for her, is it? Oh please! Who am I to say what is and isn't healthy for her, I'm trying find a child that isn't even mine on the internet.

My attention turns to the sound of my door buzzer, getting to my feet I press the intercom button.

"Hello"

"Get your ass down here right now. We‘re celebrating." a voice answers

"Justin?"

"Yes Justin, now come on!" Ending the connection I check the time 4:38. It's too early for him to drag me to a club so I can only assume this ‘celebration' is of some importance. He must have gotten the confirmation that one of his 'conquests' wasn't pregnant; I do wonder if he has a kid floating round somewhere, but that's another story.

Grabbing my keys, phone and jacket I head out my apartment and downstairs.

Once outside I find Justin leaning against the wall smiling like a Cheshire cat.

"Are you high?" I cautiously ask.

"That happened once and you know it."

"Once? Remember who you're talking to."

"Ok 3-8 times, but that‘s not the point."

"Well can you please explain to me why we‘re ‘celebrating'." I say using my fingers to air quote.

"I got it back." He smiles and starts walking away.

"Got what back?" I ask catching up to him.

"The reason for my existence. Money." He sighs, his smile growing even wider, any wider and half his face is going to fall off.

"But your dad cut you off."

"He died. The inheritance got split between me, my mum and sister." He explained.

"You‘re celebrating your dads death? Dude that‘s sick." I say as I stop walking.

"Call me what you want. I‘m too happy to care."

I should probably explain, Justin is what you might call a ‘trust fund kid' but unlike most who would get access to the money at the age of 21 he starting spending the money the moment he left high school; and as you've probably guessed his dad wasn't too happy when it occurred to him that Justin wasn't going to college for an education. Justin being the kind of guy he is had transferred almost 2 million into a separate account before his dad could cut him off, and has been living off this money since. I would be surprised it's lasted this long considering the type of life style he has, but seeing as he doesn't pay for food (he eats mine after all), pays rent for a small apartment he's rarely at and doesn't date girls so he doesn't have to spend money on them. You have to hand it to him, he's smarter than you might think; if only he could use he's smarts for good.